


Run and Go

by Ineffable_Hannigram



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Young Dutch van der Linde, Young Hosea Matthews
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ineffable_Hannigram/pseuds/Ineffable_Hannigram
Summary: Hosea and Dutch get split up while running from the law.
Relationships: Hosea Matthews/Dutch van der Linde
Kudos: 14





	Run and Go

Bullets wiz by their ears as they run, ducking branches and hopping logs as they make a run for where they left their horses hitched. Their hands are interlocked as they pull each other along the way, keeping the other ahead of the men hounding them out of the small town.

“C’mon Dutch!” Hosea shouts, dragging the man down the clearing that leads to their horses, spotting them a couple feet away.

Their hands drop by their sides as they both mount their horses.

“We’ll go separate ways, try to lose the law and then regroup in week at the usual saloon. Give everything time to cool down?” Dutch asks and Hosea nods. They grasp each other’s shoulders, sharing a look of understanding.

“Good luck.” They say in unison before shouting their departure, hooves kicking up dust as they bolt into separate directions, the law hot on their heels…

A week later and Dutch was alone at that saloon, sitting at a table and nervously looking over his shoulder whenever someone walked through the door. He looks down at his watch for what must have been the fifteenth time in the past hour and frowns. He stands and walks over to the bar.

“Excuse me good sir” Dutch flags the barman, “You haven’t happened to see my friend around here, have you? Young, blonde, slim about this tall” Dutch holds a hand up to his shoulder for comparison.

The barman shakes his head with a disinterested look,

“Sorry buddy, don’t think no one looking like that has come ‘ere.”

Dutch gives a disheartened smile in thanks before leaving the saloon.

* * *

It had been three months since Dutch had last seen Hosea. He had taken to staying in hostels, just as Hosea did. Dutch didn’t like Hostels. The thought of being confined alone into four walls with no easy escape put him on edge; he much preferred the open sky, the stars, the freedom and safety they provided.

He spent long night rummaging through newspapers from across the towns, hoping to gain at least a glimpse of his friend’s name. He’s midway though this ritual when he hears the window creek, his gun is in his hand before he knows it, aiming at the direction the noise came from.

He watches as the widow cracks open, frigid wind blowing in under the ledge raising goosebumps along his arms. His gun is still aimed at the imposter but then he realises just who it is climbing through, or rather stumbling through. Dutch has never moved so quick in his life, jerking forwards while launching his gun onto the bed before darting across the room to pull the slight man through the threshold and into the warm embrace of his arms.

They're both clinging onto each other and Dutch can feel how waxy and cold Hosea’s skin is, he’s quick to wrap them up in his loose coat and feels the man cling on tighter. Dutch rests his chin on the soft hair covering Hosea's head, it’s longer than it was before, falling in long strands just below his ears, his eyes are wide in shock while Hosea's are clenched shut, his nose tucked into Dutch's neck

"I thought you were gone, Old Girl" Dutch whispers into the dark of the room, voice sounding strained even to him. Before he can even cringe in response, Hosea speaks,

“Don’t worry Dutch, I don’t plan on leaving you.”

"You better not… I'm not sure if I could survive that. Or if I'd want to"

Hosea smiles gently and burrows closer to him. He knows it's true and he feels much the same. The two of them had built a unique relationship over the past year. To lose the other would be a nail in the coffin of whatever life they had led. Hosea wants to get rid of those thoughts and hides from them by burying his face further in Dutch's neck, feeling the man's pulse rabbit in response.

They stand in the room, outlined by the shine of the moon, holding one another. It strikes Dutch that they've never done this. _Sure, they've hugged in brief greeting or in shared joy of a successful heist, but they've never done **this**._ Such an intimate moment of shared relief and warmth and happiness in the simple knowledge that the other was alive and with them.

Dutch releases Hosea just long enough to turn a lantern on and to shut the window, hoping the room would warm up some. It’s only now in the newly lit room, does he see Hosea's face and realise just how much he missed it. But he also notices how tired he looks, the fresh spattering of cuts and bruises, the unshed tears in his eyes that probably mirror those in Dutch's.

“Hosea…” He whispers, Walking towards the other man.

Hose has yet not moved from where Dutch left him, his dipped down to hide his face. He feels warm hands gently guide his head up so he could get a closer look at the wounds.

_Sure, he has some fresher ones of his own from scraps or bushes, but nothing like this._

"Hosea... What happened?" Dutch asks gently and Hosea releases a sigh.

"It's nothing Dutch, just got into a fight with a couple low lives and then got thrown when they shot my horse" Hosea looks down but otherwise doesn't really move.

Dutch frowns, "You loved that horse, Hosea, how is that nothing? What started it?"

"It's just a horse, Dutch." Hosea replies, but his throat constricts and his voice cracks giving away all the emotion he feels. But he's still ignoring the question.

"Hosea, please, what caused this?" Dutch pleads.

"Dutch, please... Let it go" Hosea sighs.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to think it's your fault." Hosea tucks his chin against his chest, avoiding eye contact entirely now.

 _Because of him?_ Dutch frowns,

"Hosea, now you have to tell me because if I somehow caused this I need to know."

"I- fine Dutch... Fine. Remember when you came back from that job you did, some stage coach or other? You said it was someone else’s?"

Dutch remembers, and dreads to hear the rest of the story.

"Colm caught up to me earlier this week, noticed I had been around you a lot, I guess. 'Dutch's little toy', I guess they thought we were fucking or something because they were so angry, always shouting about it." Hosea says with a tired grin, obviously not caring about what was said, “Just roughed me up a bit, said to ‘tell old Dutch his buddy Colm said hi’”

Dutch frowns, taking Hosea's face in his hands, mindful of the cuts.

"Colm did this?"

"That's what I said isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah you did. Sorry, stupid question." Dutch sighs, running his thumb over Hosea's bottom lip

"I'm sorry Hosea" He sees the man rolls his eyes,

"I said it ain't your fault, idiot." Hosea says warmly.

Dutch's thumb is still resting just beneath his lip and Hosea dips his head, carefully taking the tip onto his mouth, gently sucking off the blood Dutch collected from his cut lip. He hears the intake of breath and pulls back, lifting his hands to Dutch’s face to place a careful, light kiss against the corner of his mouth.

"I don't want you feeling guilty over this none, Dutch." Hosea looks up at Dutch, they’re close enough that their chests almost touch and it makes the difference in their height more obvious.

"I promise Colm won't touch you again, Old Girl" Dutch replies instead of agreeing.

"That's not what I asked for, Dutch" Hosea sighs.

Dutch pulls him against his chest, the hug looser to that they shared earlier.

"Sorry, Hosea, but right now I don't care what you said. All I know is you got hurt because I wanted to mess around with Colm O'Driscoll"

“I got hurt because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings and didn’t notice Colm’s boys. The coach job was, what, four months ago now, it’s done Dutch.” Hosea heavily leans against the man’s chest, sighing when he feels the arms around him briefly tighten.

“I don’t like it, Hosea, but I will drop it for you.” Dutch grumbles and Hosea can’t help but softly laugh.

“Thank you, it’s all I ask.”


End file.
